Vareniki with Potato in Hot-Water Dough

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make vareniki with potato in hot-water dough? Start with the filling — it needs time to cool. Gather the ingredients. Scrub the potatoes well under running water with a brush.

2. Step 2:

   

   How do you make the potato-and-onion filling for the vareniki? Peel the potatoes and cut them into halves or quarters, depending on the size of the tubers. Put them in a pot. Cover with clean cold water. Set the potatoes to cook. Add salt. How long do you cook potatoes? Over medium heat it takes about 30 minutes. Check for doneness with a knife — it should slide easily into the pieces. Drain the water from the pot, reserving about 200 ml for the mash.

3. Step 3:

   

   While the potatoes boil, work on the onion. Peel it, then cut it into small cubes — the onion goes into the filling, and the finer it's cut, the tastier the filling will be.

4. Step 4:

   

   Heat a skillet over low heat and pour in the vegetable oil. Add the butter and melt it. Why use two kinds of fat? If you fry in butter alone, it can start to burn. Vegetable oil has a higher smoke point and prevents that. Add the onion. Add the sugar. Why the sugar? It helps the onion caramelize faster, taking on an appetizing golden crust. Sauté the onion until golden, about 5–7 minutes.

5. Step 5:

   

   Mash the potatoes into a purée, adding the reserved cooking liquid. Add the sautéed onion along with the oil it was cooked in. Stir. Leave the filling to cool.

6. Step 6:

   

   How do you make the hot-water dough for vareniki? While the filling cools, make the dough. Gather the ingredients for it. The flour amount is approximate — you may need less or more, depending on many factors: the quality of the flour, the size of the egg, the humidity. Go by the state of the dough, adding flour in batches. Be sure to sift it. Use odorless oil. Wash the egg well with baking soda and wipe it dry.

7. Step 7:

   

   Take a large bowl and crack the egg into it. Add the vegetable oil and salt. Beat them lightly with a fork.

8. Step 8:

   

   Add 150 grams of flour and stir. You'll get a crumbly mixture. Pour boiling water into it, stirring the dough vigorously with a fork. You'll get a sticky dough. Why add boiling water? The hot water develops the gluten in the dough very quickly — that's what makes it smooth and elastic. Without boiling water, that takes much longer.

9. Step 9:

   

   Start adding flour in batches. Stir with a fork at first.

10. Step 10:

    

    Then switch to your hands, to feel the dough's consistency better. By its state you'll know when there's enough flour. The dough should turn soft but not sticky. I used less flour, about 350 grams.

11. Step 11:

    

    Finish kneading the dough on a board. Form it into a ball, cover with a towel, and leave it for 10 minutes. Then knead it again and let it rest once more under a towel or cling film.

12. Step 12:

    

    The finished dough is very pliable and doesn't stick to the work surface at all. Roll it out to a few millimeters thick.

13. Step 13:

    

    Using a suitable cutter, cut the dough into circles.

14. Step 14:

    

    Put a teaspoon of the cooled filling on a round.

15. Step 15:

    

    Seal the varenik any way you like — I make a decorative braided edge.

16. Step 16:

    

    How do you cook vareniki? Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Use plenty of water so the vareniki float freely and don't stick together. Salt it. Drop in the vareniki and stir them right away so they don't stick to the bottom. Cook the vareniki for about 5 minutes after the water boils — they'll float up to the surface. Serve the vareniki with butter, sour cream, or sautéed onion.